Report on The Green Queen
by Old Toad
Summary: A previously secret Ministry of Magic report on a mysterious witch known as "The Green Queen"


_Following the crisis of Gellert Grindelwald's bid for power, the Ministry of Magic began to routinely (and secretly) investigate all powerful 'alien' (meaning: 'of foreign nationality') wizards and witches in the country. These investigations were abandoned during the first wizarding war, but only after the second wizarding war did the Ministry admit to them for the first time._

_The following is a transcript (made in 2001) of the parchment relating to one such investigation, redacted to remove some names. Some comments [in square brackets] have been added for this publication._

Most Secret

Circulation of this report is restricted to the Minister of Magic and Department Heads; delivery by trusted messenger only – DO NOT USE OWLS.

REPORT ON ALIEN WITCH

Subject: 'The Green Queen'

Nationality: Unknown

Abilities: Highly skilled enchantress; animagus (unconfirmed); does not use a wand

Description: A tall young-looking witch, described by all as 'beautiful' or 'lovely'

The real name of the subject is not known; it is thought possible that she comes from a culture where knowing a person's true name gives one power over them. Our agent in Gringotts Bank (name redacted) reports that her deposit is under the name of 'The Lady of the Green Kirtle.' Her attendants (see below) address her as 'Your Majesty.' She has been known to claim the title of 'Queen.' Because of this, her regal demeanour and her habit of wearing green, she is generally referred to in Diagon Alley as 'The Green Queen.'

Early in 1950 a witch fitting the subject's appearance was able to charm (by voice alone) Grace Vine, the rare books expert at The Book Worm Store [since closed] in Diagon Alley, into giving her a very rare and expensive volume, 'The Gnomes Beneath Us' by Artemis Badger.

The subject's first certain appearance was at Gringotts Bank a few days later. She entered with two small attendants, who most witnesses thought to be house elves, each carrying a large sack. She was allocated a vault, and left with a smaller sack containing a large sum in Galleons. An eye witness said "She was escorted out of the bank with such bowing and scraping as I have never seen before or since."

The same day the subject entered Borgin and Burkes and emerged later with one attendant carrying an additional package. Borgin and Burkes would only say that a "stringed musical instrument" had been purchased. The subject also purchased a tub of green powder from an apothecary in Knockturn Alley; the proprietor denies that this was the illegal substance 'Confounding Powder.' [Confounding Powder when burnt gives off fumes which cause confusion and sap the will of those who inhale them. The Ministry outlawed it a hundred years ago, after it was used in a failed raid on Gringotts bank. It failed because the robbers themselves became confused.]

The subject made several subsequent visits to Diagon Alley during 1950, and purchased a wide range of books from Flourish and Blotts bookshop. These included:

"Giants and How to Live with Them"

"The Great Wizarding Families of Britain"

"Advanced Enchantment: Getting Your Own Way"

"101 Great Achievements of the Dark Arts"

The subject is known to have bought several books from booksellers in Knockturn Alley. One of these was the notorious pamphlet "Speaking Lies to Power" by Sitruss Kandell.

The subject also made two visits to Hogwarts School. Headmaster Armando Dippet reports that she requested access to the school's library and its restricted section: "Although she had no connection with the School I did allow her access. I could not refuse so charming a lady."

On a second visit to the School she spent several hours in conversation with Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures instructor. He can remember only that: "We talked about Giants, yes, Giants and other magical creatures, can't remember what." Our agent (name redacted) tried administering Veritaserum, but could learn nothing more from him.

In August 1950 The Daily Prophet headlined the story of "A Daring Robbery At Malfoy Manor." It reported that intruders had used the Flue Network [which was not under Ministry control at that time] to enter the Manor, then overcame those present with Confounding Powder and made off with "an irreplaceable heirloom." It quoted Abraxas Malfoy as saying "They knew what they wanted. They took an elaborately carved chair made for my illustrious ancestor Lucius Malfoy. It is unique and irreplaceable. We will be offering a generous reward for its safe return." [Abraxas's son, Lucius, confirms that the chair has never been recovered.]

What The Daily Prophet did not report is that the previous weekend the Malfoys had entertained the 'Green Queen' at Malfoy Manor. Lady Malfoy met the subject, apparently by chance, in Borgin and Burkes shop; and learning that they had attended Beauxbatons Academy together had immediately invited her home. However, the following morning Lady Malfoy awoke to remember that she had never even been to Beauxbatons! After "an awkward confrontation" the subject departed via the Flue Network and the Malfoys never saw her again. The Malfoys' house elf told the investigating aurors that the visitor "showed a lot of interest in the silver chair that was stolen." The elf also reported that the chair was "such a powerful dark arts thing as to make one shudder." The exact nature of the chair has never been established.

It was about the time of the robbery that the subject made her final known appearance in Diagon Alley, and indeed in the wizarding world. She entered Gringotts Bank with three diminutive attendants and withdrew a very large sum in muggle money. [Her vault was opened on Ministry orders during the second wizarding war and found to be empty.]

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, who had just begun an internship with Gringotts, happened to be in the bank and attempted to talk to the three attendants. She told our investigators that: "They were definitely not elves. They would not talk to me. I think they were spell bound." [In 1975 Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, by then a considerable expert on unusual magical creatures, wrote a short article for The Daily Prophet advancing the theory that the attendants were Earthmen or Gnomes. "At the time I saw them I had never even heard of Gnomes. I now believe that Artemis Badger was not the 'deluded old fraud' some have claimed him to be, but that the Gnomes he describes in his great book really do exist."]

The 'Green Queen' was seen many times in 1950, but never since. Even more mysterious than her name and where she came from is how she travelled and where she lived. No one in Diagon Alley ever seems to have seen her arrive or depart. She was never seen in the Leaky Cauldron and for certain never stayed there. She is known to have used the Flue Network (e.g. in going to and from Malfoy Manor.) Very likely she also used one or more portkeys. [So-called 'illegal' portkeys, which could take their users to distant lands, were easily obtainable at that time.]

[Following the first publication of this transcript in 2001, Luna Lovegood, in an article in The Quibbler, put forward the theory that 'The Green Queen' used a portal to come and go. A portal is an advanced form of portkey, usually in the form of a doorway or opening which the user simply steps through. The article also claimed that a painted picture or a mirror can be "a disguised or hidden portal ready to transport the user to far countries or even to unknown worlds." Most experts agree that this claim is "at best fanciful."]

Author: - redacted –

Date: April 1951


End file.
